About Public Hearings & Meetings

Public Hearings

• More formal than a public meeting.
• Held before a decision is made.
• Designed to gather comments from all interested parties as public record and input into decisions.
• An official hearing officer is required. This person acts as an agency representative and helps disseminate information.

Public Meetings

• Held throughout the planning process.
• Intended to gather input from community residents or groups
• Can be formal or informal.
• Are tailored to specific issues or community organizations.
• Meetings can have a specific focus. They can focus on particular groups, such as neighborhood organizations or businesses.

Open House

• A type of public meeting that is similar to a transportation fair.
• It can feature presentations, slide shows and one-on-one discussions between community residents and agency staff.
• Information is presented buffet style.
• Attendees may drop in at their convenience.